CHAP. VI.] THEOLOGICAL DISCUSSION. 89 



south, we had two inside fellow-travelers with us. One of 

 them was a blacksmith of Boston, and the other a glover of 

 Plymouth. After conversing on the price of agricultural imple 

 ments, they fell into a keen controversy on several biblical ques 

 tions. After mentioning instances of great longevity in New 

 Hampshire, the glover raised the question, whether the antedi 

 luvian patriarchs really lived seven or eight centuries, or wheth 

 er, as he supposed, we were to take these passages in a &quot; myth 

 ical sense.&quot; &quot; For his part, he thought we might, perhaps, in 

 terpret them to mean that the family stock, or dynasty, of a par 

 ticular patriarch, endured for those long periods.&quot; He also went 

 on to say, that the Deluge did not cover the highest mountains 

 literally, but only figuratively. Against these latitudinarian no 

 tions the blacksmith strongly protested, declaring his faith in the 

 literal and exact interpretation of the sacred record ; but at the 

 same time treating his antagonist as one who had a right to in 

 dulge his own opinions. As soon as there was a pause in the 

 conversation, I asked them if they approved of a frequent change 

 of ministers, such as I found to prevail in New England the 

 Methodists remaining only two years, and the Congregationalists 

 only four or six at the utmost, in one parish. They seemed 

 much surprised to learn from me, that in England we thought a 

 permanent relation between the pastor and his flock to be nat 

 ural and desirable. Our people, they observed, are fond of va 

 riety, and there would always be danger, when they grew tired 

 of a preacher, of their running after others of a different sect. 

 &quot; Besides,&quot; said the blacksmith, &quot; how are they to keep up with 

 the reading of the day, and improve their minds, if they remain 

 forever in one town ? They have first their parish duties, then 

 they are expected to write two new sermons every week, usually 

 referring to some matters of interest of the day ; but if they have 

 a call to a new parish, they not only gain new ideas, but much 

 leisure, for they may then preach over again their old sermons.&quot; 

 He then told me that he had not visited New Hampshire for 

 ten years, and was much struck with the reform which, in that 

 interval, the temperance movement had worked in the hotels and 

 habits of the people. Mr. Mason, an eminent lawyer of Boston, 



